Hello,

I am creating a quick start guide for a product launching in August using MoI. Some components were in Solidworks already but some critical components weren't. I am recreating those parts from 2D files. We were thinking of having some special edition enclosures produced and would like to provide some conceptual models back the engineers for them to check and then package to send to a firm to have them produced. If the design is a good one it might transition to the standard enclosure for the equipment, at least for the US market. The current exterior dimensions are about 9x5x1.5 inches, but I think that is due to enclosure reuse. What format, if any that MoI can export will provide a decent starting point for the engineer to validate as to production worthiness? I really think the changes will be cosmetic, a departure away from the basic beige design.

Does anyone here know of a good domestic prototyping / low volume production fabrication company that can produce such an enclosure in either metal or plastic? I would prefer a domestic source to avoid any hand holding etc., a small outfit that can realize that I'm not an engineer but can translate my expectations into a quality finished product.

Thanks.

Hi OSTexo,

> What format, if any that MoI can export will provide a decent
> starting point for the engineer to validate as to production
> worthiness?

The engineer will be using SolidWorks?

If so then I'm pretty sure that SolidWorks has a 3DM importer built into it, so sending just a regular 3DM file saved from MoI should work, it would probably be good to send a couple of test models.

But other formats would work too - probably STEP format would be the other main choice.

It may be best to ask the engineer what they would prefer - MoI v2 will write CAD data to 3DM, STEP, IGES, and SAT formats.

It may not be a bad idea to send more than one format to them, say both 3DM and STEP.

- Michael